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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 09/05/2017 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP AND OPEN PODIUM TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 CITY CENTER 5:00—6:25 PM, HERITAGE ROOMS 6:30—7:00 PM, COUNCIL CHAMBER CITY COUNCIL: Mayor Nancy Tyra-Lukens, Council Members Brad Aho, Sherry Butcher Wickstrom, Kathy Nelson, and Ron Case CITY STAFF: City Manager Rick Getschow, Police Chief James DeMann, Fire Chief George Esbensen, Public Works Director Robert Ellis, Community Development Director Janet Jeremiah, Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer, Communications Manager Joyce Lorenz, City Attorney Ric Rosow, City Engineer Rod Rue, and Recorder Cynthia Harder GUESTS: Eden Prairie Historical Society Board of Directors Kathie Case, Valerie Ross, Chris Honaas-Wildfang, Kati Simons, Ann Higgins, Jeanne DeSanctis, Katie Qualey, Tracy Hope, Jan Lacy, and Norm Rogers Workshop - Heritage Rooms I and H(5:30) I. EDEN PRAIRIE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Mayor Tyra-Lukens called the workshop to order at 5:35 p.m. Getschow stated the purpose of the workshop's first topic is to provide an overview of the Eden Prairie Historical Society's progress. EPHS President Kathie Case thanked the Mayor, Council, and staff for being helpful and supportive. She said since EPHS began in 1969, their number one focus has been preservation. It is important to preserve,protect, and gather historic information to continue the story of Eden Prairie and help with education. Mrs. Case said their first item of discussion is grants. EPHS has gotten four grants so far (for an interpretive plan for the Eden Prairie Historical Museum, an interpretive plan for the Cummins-Phipps-Grill House, an oral history project, and a fire suppression system at the CPG House). The Heritage Preservation Commission also gets grants,but they go for the larger grants to assist with projects such as the remodel of the CPG House's second level. She explained EPHS can apply for grants to help store artifacts correctly and meet the needs of the museum or historical sites. EPHS will continue to bid for grants and also help the HPC secure grants by providing photographs and documentation. Mrs. Case shared EPHS is building a relationship with the Hennepin County Museum. When attending meetings with the Hennepin County Museum, Mrs. Case and Ms. Lacy learned about how to get grant writers and met with other historical societies to keep moving forward. Hennepin County is working on a large exhibit related to the Glen Lake Sanatorium and Mrs. Case noted they do not have the national register plaque or historical sign there. Next, Ms. Ross said EPHS is also fostering a relationship with the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums (MALHM) and some EPHS board members attended a conference City Council Workshop Minutes September 5, 2017 Page 2 recently to learn how to better preserve buildings and artifacts. They also found out MALHM offers discounts on storage equipment. EPHS's main focus this year has been to catalogue artifacts by taking photos and documenting where each item is currently located, who donated it and when. The cataloguing of EPHS museum artifacts is nearly complete. Next, board members will work on cataloguing items at the CPG House and Riley Jacques Barn. After cataloguing items, Ms. Ross stated Ms. Lacy will enter the information into software called PastPerfect so it is readily available and easy to share. Ms. Lacy said she is learning about PastPerfect, the leading museum collection software, and looks forward to helping EPHS get the artifacts organized. Butcher Wickstrom asked if the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is aware of EPHS's inventory. Mrs. Case said at this time, MNHS is not aware of the artifacts Eden Prairie has but once everything is logged in PastPerfect, EPHS can easily share the information with MNHS, the Hennepin History Museum, other historical societies, and residents. Mrs. Case said with only 9 board members, it can be a challenge to keep up with all the historical sites in the City and cataloguing artifacts has been time-consuming. Butcher Wickstrom asked if there is a grant available for assistance in cataloguing inventory. Mrs. Case replied EPHS does not have a grant writer and has contracted grant writers in the past. Tyra-Lukens inquired about open hours and promotion of the museum. Ms. Higgins explained the museum is open from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Mondays and also by request. When the museum is not open, phone calls get forwarded to Ms. Higgins' home phone. Mrs. Case said the museum is promoted through the member newsletter and will also soon be promoted through newspapers. Ms. Simon pointed out the Fall Harvest Festival and City Open House are also great events for exposure and bringing people into the museum. She added they would be happy to have more opportunities to showcase the museum and bring people in. Next, Ms. Honaas-Wildfang described EPHS membership. She said there are approximately 137 current members including 27 VIPs. A newsletter is sent to members each month and membership increases cash flow. Going forward, EPHS would like to involve members more by offering volunteer opportunities such as tabling during the Fall Harvest Festival. Mrs. Case explained guests coming to the CPG House often drive right past the parking lot and a new sign is needed to direct visitors. Getschow said interior signage would be straightforward and he will talk to Lotthammer about getting a new sign. Mrs. Case said they are happy to provide a sample and EPHS is willing to help pay for it. Ms. Qualey and Ms. DeSanctis plan events at the CPG House. Ms. Qualey said this year will mark the 5t" annual holiday event, Santa's North Pole Experience, and about 4,000 people attended in 2016. Next spring will be the 5t" Annual Vintage Sale which is also gaining momentum. Additionally, EPHS is planning a Ghost Walk where guests will arrive at the CPG House and then travel by trolley to two cemeteries where EP Players will be acting as ghosts. These events all help promote the CPG House. Ms. Qualey also explained recent improvements have been done to keep the house looking nice while also staying true to the original style. She designed a wall display showing the City Council Workshop Minutes September 5, 2017 Page 3 timeline of the Cummins-Phipps-Grill families and it is hung in the house. Board members are looking at doing a timeline for the Smith Douglas Moore House. Council Members commented on how nice the timeline display looks. Ms. DeSanctis said things are going very well at the CPG House but agreed a new sign would be beneficial to direct visitors and the grounds could be made more inviting. The house has recently been used for graduation parties and photo shoots. Nelson asked what else is planned to make it more inviting. Ms. DeSanctis replied an asparagus garden is being planted. Mrs. Case thought adding benches and tables would be nice for people spending their lunch hour there. Ms. Honaas-Wildfang said bins for recycling and trash bins would be appreciated. Tyra-Lukens commended the Historical Society on adding value to the community and utilizing the CPG House. Case noted Lotthammer's absence and confirmed with Getschow these requests will be passed along to him. Lastly, Mrs. Case touched on the Dorenkemper House. In August, EPHS held a meeting at the Dorenkemper House and while they were there, a summer camp group stopped by unexpectedly and the kids really enjoyed seeing the house. She thought the Dorenkemper House should become part of future summer camps. She also suggested looking into adding food trucks, a small ice cream shop, or something else easy to run during the summer months and keeping the lower level of the building open to encourage residents to use this space. Tyra-Lukens thanked EPHS's board members for their wonderful presentation and ideas. Nelson said their work makes an impact on Eden Prairie. II. EDEN PRAIRIE ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECT Rod Rue, City Engineer, gave an update on the Eden Prairie Road construction project and presented five alternatives for slope grading and retaining walls along the area. The plan selected will have not only a financial impact but a visual impact to the corridor and Flying Cloud Drive's corridor. The first alternative presented was a fully graded plan with no retaining wall. Next, four alternatives were shown with retaining walls: a full-length wall, a half-length wall (North), a quarter-length wall, and a half-length wall (South). Nelson asked how tall the wall would be and Rue responded the wall would be approximately 35 feet. Nelson questioned whether one of plans including a wall would work better with large amounts of rainfall or snowfall. Rue responded all plans allow a minimum of 10 to 15 feet for snow storage between the wall and the road, along with a ditch along the backside to capture drainage coming down the wall. Plus, there would be a drainage system to collect and reroute ground water or seepage. Nelson asked if the wall would be blank and Rue replied it would be a concrete wall and look like the walls being built by the County. After showing all options, Rue recommended going with the fully graded option with no retaining wall and all Council Members were in agreement. Rue said stabilizing the slope is important so for three to four years, it will look like a grassy slope. Nelson asked if wildflowers and pollinator-friendly plants can be planted for aesthetics and Rue agreed this could be possible in addition to the prairie grass. Tyra-Lukens said she is so glad there is an option without a retaining wall not just for aesthetics but also for safety. She asked where water runoff will go. Ellis said when they've worked with sandy slopes in the past, they used City Council Workshop Minutes September 5, 2017 Page 4 geofabric to reinforce the ground and prevent sheer stress. Aho asked if they are recommending to not plant trees right away. Rue said trees would not be planted right away in an effort to first protect the slope with the right vegetation. Case asked if in 10 years there could be trees and Rue said yes. Getschow confirmed a lot of analysis has been done taking into consideration cost and the number of trees removed in each alternative. Rue wrapped up by saying the fully graded option will result in a lot of excess material and if this project is bid in early 2018, the contractor can take advantage of using excess material from this project during the subsequent Flying Cloud Drive project. Open Podium - Council Chamber (6:30) III. OPEN PODIUM IV. ADJOURNMENT